Air cooling



F. A. KITCHEN AIR COOLING March 21, 1933.

Filed March 2, 1931 l //v VENTOR Rana/5 A. K/fchcfl J g, 1. 2.121 ATORNE y Patented Mar. 21, 1933 1,902,246 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEFRANCIS A. KITCHEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO AIR COOLING Application filedMarch 2, 1931. Serial No. 519,474.

This invention relates to improvements melting of ice 3. Gathering panproin an air cooler, whereby air can be lowvides a conducting surfacefrom the ice 5a ered in temperature by passing over an ex and from thecold water 51). An outlet for tended surface which is cooled by reasonof overflow of water from gathering pan 5 is 5 conduction of heatthrough metal to a coolshown at 6. The enclosure 1 is shown poingmedium. More particularly, the insitioned above air duct 7 or chamberconvention relates to a means of transferring nected to a means ofmoving air such as a heat from a space wherein air is forced to fan andmotor 8. Also within the duct 7' circulation, to a space adjacentthereto are placed conductor rods 9 around which 10 where is located acooling medium in direct are positioned extended surface fins. Ancontact with the means of transferring the eliminator 10 for removingany entrained h t, moisture from the air is shown. A gather- A furtherobject of the invention is to in'g pan 13 is shown positioned underconprovide a means of reducing the moisture ductor rods 9; also outlet12 for the removal content of the air by passing over an exof moisturecondensed out of the air. tended. surface the temperature of which F ig.2 shows a sectional view of the cooler may be below the dew point of theair, thus enclosure 1 with ice cakes 3 in contact with condensing someof the moisture contained conductor surface 5a. Conductor rods 9 in theair without the necessity of using cold are shown connected to gatheringpan 5 or 20 water sprays as has been the prevailing conductor surface5a. A door 11 for the practice. charging of the ice 3 is shown.

A further object of the invention is to The conductor rods 9 are shownexprovide a means of -conducting heat to a tended into air duct 7 sothat the air flow cooling medium such as ice, and to provide comes intocontact with the entire cooling 25 an additional means of conductingheat to surface. Another view. of gathering pan the cold water resultingfrom the melting of 13 shows the outlet 12 connected to water said ice.outlet 6 from ice enclosure 1. p

A further object of the invention is the Fig. 3 shows an enlarged viewof the cold placing of a cooling surface conducting heat surface 5a uponwhich the cooling medium to cold water resulting from melting ice, is indirect contact and the conductor rods in such a position that the air tobe cooled 9 and extended surfaces 15 which are used comes into contactwith said surface before for the transmission of heat by surfaceconcontacting the cooling surface conducting tact with the air stream.The rod9 passes heat to the ice or cooling medium, thus prothroughenclosed wall 1 and air duct walls 35 viding the most effective andefficient trans- 7 and is covered between the two cempartfer of heat.ments by insulation 14. The enlarged view A further object of theinvention is the shows collecting water pan 13 placed below placing of acooling medium such as ice in the conductor rod 9. a separate insulatedcom artment and to It is well known that certain metals such 40 providea means of transfZrring heat from as copper will permit the transmissionof another space through which air is being heat at a fairly rapid ratefromone side to forced, the opposite side by what is called conduc- Inthe illustration of the invention, Fig. 1 tion. The extent of thisconduction is parshows a diagrammatic View of the air cooler, tiall vdependent upon the area of the metal cut away to reveal the componentparts of used and upon the temperature difference the device. Anenclosure 1 provides a storbetween the hot and the cold surfaces.

age space 2 for the placing of a cooling me- It is also well known inthe arto'f air condium such as ice 3. Within the storagespace ditioningthat to secure a lower effective 2 is positioned a gathering pan 5 forthe temperature which combines the temperaaccumulation of water 4resulting from the ture, the humidity content and the motion of air, itis necessary to control the humidity by means of dehumidifying. It isalso evldent that with a proper cold surface area, the air temperaturewill be reduced to its dew point where condensation of moisture in theair will take place. The result is most easily obtained without frostingif the cold surface can be maintained at a temperature slightly abovefreezing.

In the transmission of heat to an air stream to a metal surface, it isapparent that a proper proportion of extended surface must be providedin direct contact with the metal used for conduction. It is alsonecessary to have direct contact of the conductor surface with thecooling medium, and further, said conductor must be insulated whereexposed to losses to the surrounding air.

In operation, the unit may be connected to an existing piping systemconnected to a room or series of rooms, or it may be used separately tocool the air from and to a single room.

In operation, the ice cakes 3 which may be used to charge the storagechamber 2 through door 11, rest on the copper surface 5a which by reasonof being in direct contact with heat conductor rods 9 is at a highertemperature than the temperature of the ice 3. The ice is meltedgradually, dissipating the heat from the air which passes over theconductor rods 9 connected to copper surface 5a. The resulting meltedwater 4 is still at a temperature above the air temperature, and istherefore collected in a pan 5 forming a similar conductor surface 5bwhich is also connected to conductor rods 9 which are positioned aheadof the conductors 9 transmitting heat directly to the ice cakes 3. Thusthe cold melted ice water 4 is also utilized to dissipate heat from theair stream.

In the descriptive views, the air may be forced by a fan and motor 8through a duct 7 over the conductors connected to 5?; so that the air ispartially lowered in temperature and is then passed over conductorsconnected to 5a which further lowers the temperature of the air. Undercertain air conditions, the air thus cooled by contact with theconductor surfaces may condense some of its moisture content upon thecold surfaces. This condensation is allowed to drain off in the pan 13provided for this purpose. An eliminator surface 10 may be provided tocatch any moisture which may be carried in the air stream.

The invention thus discloses a new and simple device for the cooling;dehumidifying or conditioning of air, w ich provides a means ofeliminating complicated and unwieldly equipment heretofore required toobtain the equivalent result.

It is not necessary to use ice as a cooling medium, as a similar coldsubstance or surface providing heat absorption could be used withoutaffecting the o ration of the unit.

It is shown that the isclosure provides a means of melting the iceadually so as to give a constant cooling e ect.

I claim as my'invention:

1. An air conditioning device for cooling air and reducing its absolutehumidity, comprising in combination a container having a stepped bottom,said step adapted to support a cake of ice within said container, theremainder of said bottom forming a recess for the reception of the waterresulting from the melting of said cake of ice, an air duct positionedadjacent to said container, means for inducing a flow of air to beconditioned through said duct, and a plurality of heat exchangingelements extending into said duct, said elements connecting with saidbottom in heat exchanging relationship and adapted to reduce thetemperature of the air flowing through said duct below its dew pointwhereby condensation of the excess moisture present will be effected.

2. An air conditioning device according to claim 1 in which said duct isprovided with a pan, a duct leading from said pool of ice water to saidpan, a drain line for leading water'from said pan, said heat exchangingelements extending into said pan, whereby an added cooling medium isprovided for said heat exchanging elements.

FRANCIS A. KITCHEN.

